This invention pertains to a method and apparatus wherein new and improved dispensing heads and functions are provided for manual dispensing from discrete vessels with electronic control either with or without portion control at each vessel and remote recording of dispensing function data from each vessel.
The focus of this invention is methods, systems, and componentry for liquor and beverage dispensing by manual inversion of individual bottles and a discrete electronic head on each bottle, and the provision of a new and improved dispensing head on each bottle. Each head may have a dispensing data transmitter in each head and a remote dispensing data receiver and computational device, with a new method and apparatus for the devisement and accumulation of the dispensing data.
There are many examples of liquor dispensing heads for individual bottles. An outstanding commercially successful device of this type is subject of Conry U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,113 which is sold under the trademark xe2x80x9cPOSI-POURxe2x80x9d. The problem with these devices is that managers and employees cheat and short change the owners. The ball valve mechanism on Conry frequently gums up and the head has to be removed and washed out.
Complete and costly remote systems such as those devised and patented by Joseph Shannon are one (and a costly) solution, but the bottles are remoted, the bartender entertainment element is lost, and the system is expensive and requires hard plumbing into the physical building.
Reichenberger U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,597 is a liquor dispensing system having dispenser heads which secure to individual bottles.
Reichenberger U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,597 is a method and apparatus for dispensing liquor wherein a plurality of individual dispensing heads mechanically secure and lock to individual liquor bottles for manual pour of the liquor, with a remote radio receiver and recorder receiving dispensing signals from a radio transmitter in each head.
The dispensing head has a mechanical lock structure that retains the head to the bottle for preventing cheating. Operation of the lock requires a conventional key and therefore a manager type individual has to remove and install the head from the bottle as each bottle is emptied, and replaced with a new full bottle. Operation of the lock device requires a time consuming partial disassembly and re-assembly of the head during removal and reinstallation. During dispensing operation with this system, it is apparent that a manager must oversee the replacement of bottles on the heads.
The Reichenberger bottle and head normally stand upright and are manually inverted for dispensing. The head has a battery and a mercury switch that causes the transmitter to emit a signal when the bottle and head are tilted to a dispensing position. The transmitter is arranged to emit an amplitude or pulse modulated signal, the rate of which may be determined by the liquor, so that the liquor flowing out will be measured in accordance with the number of beeps or pulses sent out by the transmitter to the receiver during the flow of liquor. Reichenberger states that inasmuch as liquor flows at a given rate through a given size spout, a certain number of beeps or pulses will be transmitted and received and the particular number of beeps will indicate and record accurately the amount of liquor dispensed. The radio receiver and recorder may be provided with various counting and recording mechanisms common to the electronic receiver art. The intention of this system is to establish a record of all materials dispensed from the bottles.
A second embodiment of Reichenberger combines a conventional positive displacement volumetric single or double jigger measuring chamber device (that is assumed to be in the head) with a transmitter that emits a single signal in accordance with the closing of the switch to indicate dispensation of one chamber volume of liquid.
I have found that the liquor does not flow at a given rate through a given size spout. The flow rate varies considerably during a dispensing period; specifically when the bottle and head are inverted, the flow rate starts slowly and increases and then falls off as an air vent and vacuum in the bottle, and the height of the beverage in the bottle eventually stabilize the flow rate. As a specific example, if a single shot of liquor is dispensed, beeps will be produced. However, if two or more shots are dispensed during a single inversion of the bottle, 2 beeps will not be produced because the flow rate increases during the dispensing and the second unit of liquor flows faster than the first unit. Further, the dispensing of three, four, five or six shots, as an example, will not produce 3, 4, 5 or 6 beeps. There is no recognition or compensation in the Reichenberger method or apparatus for the relatively slow flow rate during the start-up of dispensing and the relative increase in flow rate as dispensing continues.
There is no function or structure in Reichenberger for different dispensing techniques by different people, or for different techniques in different businesses.
There is no function or structure for variations in flow rate between different beverages. For example, a high alcohol low Brix liquor like vodka flows very fast whereas a high Brix liquor such as the expensive cremes and flavored liqueurs flow relatively slowly.
There is no function or structure for identifying which beverage has been dispensed. As an example, there may be 100 different liquors. Which one was poured?
There is no function or structure for count of bottles brought on and bottles empties. How does an owner determine than an entire bottle did not vanish?
There is no function or structure for inactivation of the transmitter during removal from the bottle. For example, if the bottle and head, or head is/are inverted during removal and changing, signals will be sent to the receiver and provide inaccurate tally of dispensing. The head may not even be inverted for a water flush or wash. If the head could be inactivated, then it is relatively easy to cheat system.
There is no function or structure in Reichenberger to indicate the quantity dispensed, so the operator has to use an intermediate measuring vessel as shown in FIG. 3, with the Reichenberger preferred structure or method.
Further, an individual with a key can move the Reichenberger head from bottle to bottle, and can remove the head and replace the head and no record is made of these events. Dilution and/or substitution of dispensed beverage is unchecked. The manager can even give a key to an employee for purpose of defeating the accounting system.
The Reichenberger method and apparatus are totally dependent upon the manager(s) of the system, and in most retail establishments that are open for business on all days/evenings, there are several shift managers for each dispensing system. Further, this method and apparatus enables relatively long circumvention of proper tax payment on dispensed beverage. At the end of a business period, the Reichenberger""s recorder may read xe2x80x9c13,763xe2x80x9d for example. What does this mean? xe2x80x9c13,763xe2x80x9d what?
Further, in this type of bottle dispensing head, no one has ever devised a flow indicator in the head, or a valve device in a bottle dispensing head that may be selectively or automatically controlled to shut off dispensing. The only quantity devices have been position displacement chambers such as the single/double jigger device referred to by Reichenberger, and the dampener displacement control devices such as in Conry U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,113.
Another example of a recording dispenser for bottles is the subject of Wilson U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,223. Wilson has a bottle head that has a battery, a three digit count display, three RCA 4026 electronic chips to drive the display, and a pair of conductivity probes in the spout to sense the presence of conductive liquid in the spout. The display indicates the relative number of times that conductive liquid is present in the spout. The Wilson head for example will indicate xe2x80x9c796xe2x80x9d if it has had liquid in the spout 796 times. There is no provision for removal of the Wilson head from the bottle, or placement upon other bottles. With Wilson, an entire bottle can be emptied in a single pour and only indicate xe2x80x9c001xe2x80x9d. The read can then be padded by holding the head under a faucet and turning the electronic on and off, or by repeated immersion in and removal from a sink.
It is an object of this invention to provide new methods and apparatus for dispensing beverages from individual vessels, specifically bottles, with new and improved beverage dispensing heads and functions.
It is an object of this invention to provide new methods and apparatus for dispensing liquid from a plurality of discrete vessels, with distinguishing electronic identification of each liquid.
It is an object of this invention to provide new methods and apparatus for dispensing liquid from discrete vessels, with electronic program of individual dispensing heads on each vessel.
It is an object of this invention to provide new methods and apparatus for electronically coding identification of dispensing heads on plurality of liquid bottles.
It is an object of this invention to provide new methods and apparatus for providing business data from the dispensing of liquid from a plurality of bottles.
It is an object of this invention to provide new methods and apparatus for pouring liquid from bottles wherein a dispensing head on each bottle has a micro-computer which is programmable for the liquid in the bottle.
It is an object of this invention to provide new methods and apparatus for dispensing liquids from bottles, with adjustable dispensing stop signal structure and function being provided on each bottle.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved methods and apparatus for dispensing liquid with manual dispensing directly from hand held containers with electronic annunciation and/or telemetry of dispensing signals and data.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved methods and apparatus for annunciation of liquid dispensing from discrete containers.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved methods and apparatus for dispensing liquid from an invertible bottle and dispensing head, having new magnetic valving structure and function.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved dispensing methods and apparatus for connection to bottles, having an on-board clock timer and electrically controlled dispensing shut off structure and function.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved methods and apparatus of dispensing wherein a pouring and accounting structure and function is electronically locked to a discrete bottle.
It is an object to provide a new and improved methods and apparatus for dispensing liquor from bottles, with portion control on the bottle, transmission of dispensing data, and remote recordation and management of the data.
Methods of dispensing liquid from a bottle have the steps of connecting a head to the bottle, electronically identifying the head and the bottle contents, sensing and recording each dispensing operation, and producing a record of the dispensing operation of each head and liquid.
Methods of dispensing liquid from bottles have the steps of connecting heads to bottles, sensing dispensing from each bottle, transmitting radio signals that dispensing has started with an I.D. of the specific head, sensing termination of dispensing, transmitting a second radio signal that dispensing has stopped with an I.D. of the head, and providing a dispensing record of each head.
Methods of dispensing liquid from a bottle have the steps of connecting a head to a bottle, inverting the head and bottle, starting timer hardware in the head, timing the pour from the bottle, signaling when the pour is done, and terminating dispensing in response to the signal.
Methods of dispensing liquid from a bottle have the steps of inverting a normally upright connected bottle and dispensing head, signaling a timer that the bottle has been inverted, timing the inversion of the bottle, annunciating when a predetermined time has elapsed, and reverting the head and bottle to upright in response to the annunciating.
Methods of dispensing liquid from a bottle has the steps of magnetically locking a ferrous valve member to a magnetized valve latch pad in dispensing head secured to a bottle, manually inverting the bottle, and demagnetizing the pad to close the valve and terminate dispensing.
Methods of dispensing liquid have the steps of providing a pouring head having discrete first and second functionally different modes of pouring, connecting the head to a bottle, selecting one of the pouring modes, and pouring a quantity of liquid from the bottle in the selected mode.
Methods of dispensing liquid have the steps of connecting a pouring head to a bottle, releasing an electromagnetic valve to stop liquid pouring, vertically shaking the inverted head and bottle and causing the valve to jump upward in the head, magnetically latching the valve open when it jumps up, electronically sensing the valve is latched, and electronically restarting a timer to pour a subsequent quantity of liquid from the bottle.